Knitting machine



June 14, 1938.

B. F. COiLE 2,120,796

KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1937 N l6 Z8 "1 Z1 Z1 14 .13

x! I A 12 INVENTOR g 5 5,42

ATTORNEYS Patented June 14, 1938 PATENT I OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Benjamin F. Coile, Athens, Ga., assignor of onehalf to Paul Keller, Athens, Ga.

Application June 3,1937, Serial No. 146,142-

10 Claims. (01. 66--107) This invention relates to knitting machines and more especially to the web holding mechanism of such machines. v

An object of this invention is new and novel means for lubricating the web holders and yieldingly holding them in position for free reciprocation. I

In known web-holding mechanism, a web holder ring has radial slots in which are arranged the web holders for reciprocation by a rotated cam. Each web holder has a portion for engagement with the bottom of the web holder ring to prevent vertical movement of the holders by the knitting needles.

Heretofore, it has been customary to lubricate the web holders and needles merely by pouring oil on to the Web-holder ring which is very objectionable due to the fact that there is nothing to prevent the oil from running off with theresult that the web holders and needles run dry and become hot, causing excessive wear and the formation of a black substance which, when the mechanism is again oiled, is wiped oif'on the fabric. The present invention obviates the conditions above described and, according to the invention, the web-holder ring is provided with an annular groove in which is arranged a felt wick which is engaged by the inner ends of the web holders. The felt wick is saturated with oil and reciprocation of the holders causes application of lubricant to the sides as well as the bottom of the holders with transfer of some of the lubricant to the needles. The thorough lubrication of the holders and needles prevents them from becoming hot and minimizes the wear.

Other objects, novel features and advantages will become apparent from the'following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a webholding mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the web-holder ring; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the web-holder ring showing a web butts l8 of the web holder's l9 arranged in the grooves l5.

A web holder ring 20 flts tightly into the upper end of the needle cylinder l0 and has an exteriorly turned flange 20 to rest upon the top edge of the needle cylinder. This ring 20 also has a substantial flange 2| extending outwardly from an upper part thereof and providing a pair of spaced parallel bearing surfaces 22 and 23. The bearing surface 22 is provided by the bottom surface of flange 2| and the surface 23 forms part of the top of the'ring 20. The body of theflange 2| has an upstanding portion 2| which is substantially triangular inv cross section, the

hypotenuse of the triangle extending downwardly and inwardly, whereby a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface is provided. The part 2| is provided with a plurality of radial slots 24 to receive the web-holders and thebody portion of flange 2| is provided with the slots 24" for the needles 25'.

As is well understood, ring supports a plurality of web holders for movement radially of said ring, and guides them during their movement in and out. These web holders are each provided with an upper arm 26 which passes through the slots 24 and rests upon the upper bearing surface 23, and a lower arm 21 which moves under the flange 2| with its upper surface engaging the under bearing surface 22. This arrangement of arms and bearing surfaces and slots insures proper movement of the web holders during operation.

I provide an annular groove 28 in the upper surface of ring 20 and providea wick 29 of felt or other suitable material in said groove. It is to be noted that the wick 29 is located near the inner ends of the radial slots 24 in the web holding ring 20 and near the bottom of the inclined surface 30 of the slotted portion of said ring. Any suitable lubricant is used to saturate the wick 29. The arm 26 of the web holder 25 engages the wick 29 and as it reciprocates across the wick, it is lubricated. Some of the lubricant is carried by the web holders through the grooves 24 and supplied to the needles. web holders and needles are thoroughly lubricated thereby preventing them from becoming hot and minimizing wear. Also, the wick 29 serves to yieldingly hold the arm 26 in position tending to prevent canting of the web holder by pull exerted from the needles I2. The wick, therefore, not only serves to effect lubrication of the web holders and needles, but also minimizes iii Thus both the the possibility of binding of the arms 26 and 21 against the surfaces of the flange 2|.

The above-described arrangement provides 1 a highly efllcient and inexpensive devicefor effecting thorough and uniform lubrication of the webholders and needles. The wick-retains suf-- .flcient lubricant for a long period of operation and reduces waste of lubricant to a minimum.

ough and uniform lubrication of the web holders and needles insures that they do not become unduly heated and thereby wear is minimized. Also, the above-described arrangement prevents damage to the fabric from deposits thereonof black substance resulting from improper lubrication.

It is'of course understood that various modigflcations maybe made in the above-described web-holding mechanism without in any way de-' fined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1; In a knitting. machine, a'web-holder ring having radial slots for receiving the web holdparting from the spirit of the invention asdeers, saidlring having an annular grooveadjacent the inner ends'of. said slots,-and a lubricating wick arrangedinsaid groove;

. 2. A web holder mechanism comprising a ring having radial slots for receiving web-holders, and

an. annular lubricating wick: supported by said ring for simultaneous engagement by web holdem in said slots.

'3. In a knitting machine, a -web-holder ring having a flange provided with radial slots for receiving the web holders and provided withupper andlower plane surfaces of whichthe former is adjacent the inner endsofsaid slots-and has an annular groove, web holders in said'slotsand being recessed to provideupper and lowerarms engaging said surfaces, and a lubricating wick in said-groove engaged-by said upper arms. 4. In a knitting machine, a web holder ring having radial slots for receiving" web' holders.

said r nghaving an annular groove, web holders in saidslots and a lubricating wick in engaged by said web holders.-; v

.5. A web holder 'mechanism'compl'lsing arm! said groove having a slotted flange provided with an annuslots, a. groove in said annular surface, a lubrieating wick in said groove and web holders in said slots engaging said wick.

6. In a knitting mechanism, an exterlorly grooved cylinder, needles in-the grooves, a ring lar surface coplanar-with the bottoms ofsaid carried by said cylinder andhaving radial slots,

web holders in said slots, each web holder being arranged between two-needles,.and an annusimultaneous' engagement by said web holders.

m lubricating wick supported by said ring for.

7. In a knitting mechanism, an exteriorlygrooved cylinder, needles in the grooves, ,a ring carried by said cylinder, said ring having radial .slots and being provided with upper and lower planar surfaces of which the former is adjacent 1 the inner ends of said slots, 'w'eb holders in said slots and being recessed to provide upper and.

lower arms engaging-said surfaces, and a lubricating wick supported bysaid ringfor'engagement by said upper arm's.

8. In a knitting mechanism, an exteriorly grooved cylinder, needles in the grooves, a ring carried by said cylinder, said ring having a slotted flange provided'with an annular surface coplanar with thebottoms' of said slots, a

groove in, said annular surface, -a lubricating wick in said groove and web holders in said slot engaging said wick.

m9' ..-In' a knitting mechanism, an exteriorly grooved. cylinder, needles inthe grooves,- a ring carried by said 'cylinder,..- said ring having. a

slotted flange providediw'ith upper and lower plane surfaces of ,which the formeris adjacent the inner ends of said slots-and has an annular a groove, ,a' lubricating wickin said groove, and web holders in said slots, said web holders being recessed to provide upper arms engaging said upper surface and wick and lower arms engag ing said lower surfaces.

10; In. a knitting mechanism, an eirteriorly grooved cylinder. needles in the grooves, va ring carried by: said cylinder, said ring having a slotted-flange provided with an annular surface adjacent the inner ends of the slots',.a lubricating wicksupported by said flange and web holders in said slots, said web .holders having.

portions engaging said surface and said wlck..

- BENJAMIN con-E. 

